


The Day The VKs Disappeared

by PonderRose



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25411369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Mal and Harry meet as children and they have a rocky relationship at first. She adores him but he thinks she is annoying. Soon enough though Mal starts to grow on him. They work together to rescue the other VKs who were kidnapped by an evil witch in the Isle of the Lost. All the VKs are children (ten years old or younger) in this story. No Auradon or Auradon inhabitants. HarryxMal. Enjoy!
Relationships: Harry Hook/Mal
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Adventure In The Haunted Forest

(Author's Note: In my mind this is an official prequel to my Descendants's story "The Day The Adults Disappeared"; everything in this story is canon in that universe. However, if you haven't read my previous story- which is quite long, I'll admit- don't worry about it! I'm writing this story to be read as an addition or on its own. Either way, I hope you enjoy! Main villains are from Pinocchio and Sword In The Stone.)

Mal's P.O.V.-

I'll never forget the first time I saw him. He was nothing I'd ever seen before; so different than Daddy, Jay, Carlos, and my childhood friend Peter Pan. I shouldn't have felt the way I did at the tender age of six; the butterflies should not have fluttered so rapidly in my chest. But they did; they really did. I felt this intense desire to approach him, to stand by his side. My heart was overcome with brand new emotions I'd never experienced before. There, on the pier standing alongside his father was Harry Hook, son of Captain James Hook.

The boy's head turned my way while his father was conversing- rather loudly I might add- with some of his pirates. Harry looked at me and simply rolled his eyes. Little pirates of the age of six had no interest in little girls, even if they're demigods. Neither of our fathers took any notice- Captain Hook still talking and my father, Hades, continuing to stroll along while holding my hand. Daddy finally glanced down when he realized that I was no longer keeping pace with him. "Mally? What's wrong? Your feet starting to hurt?" He asked in a mildly concerned tone. I guess he didn't observe that I was staring in Harry's direction. "I uh… No, my feet don't hurt," my little lips sputtered. My hand was given a yank. "Then let's go home. Daddy's going to need a nap soon," Daddy always took naps in the late afternoon or early evening. I followed him, not saying a word about Harry the whole way back. But the little pirate stayed with me.

He stayed with me ever since then.

The first thing Daddy did when he opened the front door was to plop himself onto the couch. I went to fetch my books- all in Ancient Greek of course. I set myself down on the floor with my back propped up against the side of the couch. Daddy peered down at me with his one eye open, only to let a long groan. "More homework? You're a VK, honey- that means you don't have to do any homework. I mean, who ever heard of a villain who does their homework?" "But Cousin Athena said she wants this done by tomorrow," I retorted. All of my Greek relatives up in Olympus were determined that I get a decent education; being born on the Isle of the Lost didn't mean that I'd grow up illiterate. Daddy used to protest that it was a waste of time, but when I began to excel at my studies, he let it go…. somewhat. He still didn't like the idea of homework, but what can you do?

Daddy groaned again and rolled his head forward. He shut both eyes now. "Whatever. Daddy's going to have a nap." "Ok. I'll finish this then clean the kitchen." "My god, how did my own daughter- princess of the underworld- turn out to be such a goodie two-shoes?" Daddy's hand ran over his face. I didn't really understand what he was talking about, so I turned back to my work. I had just gotten to page two when another familiar voice rang throughout the room.

"You who? Anyone home?" "It's Peter!" I leapt to my feet, racing over to the door. Daddy merely opened one eye. "Hey, Mal!" Peter Pan caught me in a hug. "Oh, Peter Pan! I've missed you!" My arms held him close. "I've been busy. Me and the lost boys went on another treasure hunt. You should come with us sometime!" "She can't leave the island, remember?" Daddy yawned while stretching up his arms. "Oh, right. Well, how about we do something fun here?" "Like what?" I asked. Peter thought for a moment before snapping his fingers.

"How 'bout we go chase Kaa around? That's always fun." "Oh yeah, assuming he doesn't eat you," Daddy yawned again. "We could go to Crocodile Cove? Or visit Shere Khan?" "Would you stop trying to get my daughter killed, boy? Just because we're immortal doesn't mean that she is," my father's tone was changing into his protective voice. Peter and I looked at him, then back at each other. "We could…. go swimming in the harbour?" I meekly suggested, hoping that Harry might still be there. But Peter waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. "Nah, let's go for a walk in the Haunted Forest. That'll be a hoot!" While I wasn't too enthusiastic to go into there, I knew Peter Pan wanted to go and that was enough for me. "Daddy?" I prompted for his permission; I always got his permission before going anywhere. Daddy reopened his eyes and sat up to face us.

"Just fly overtop the forest- that's it. It's dangerous in those woods; that's where all the animal villains live. They'd give anything to get their claws on you." "Sure thing, Hades! We'll stay high in the air. Come on, Mal," Peter Pan proceeded to scoop me up into his arms princess-style. Daddy waited until we were both floating above ground before speaking again. "And be back before dark, alright?" "We will!" With that, Peter flew me out of the front door and towards the wooded part of the island.

It was a full day walk from where everyone lived on the Isle of the Lost to the Haunted Forest. I think I'm the only VK to have been there because it's so far. That was done on purpose to protect us from the animals who dwell inside. The forest led into a coast where evil sea-life lived; I'd never been that far before. I knew that Gaston went there from time to time to hunt, but besides that no one else ventured over to that half of the island. Peter Pan, however, frequented there often; he thought terrorizing the wildlife was great fun. Being a small girl of six, I was less confident in such a place.

We arrived at the forest's border; it extended for miles. It was quite a bleak place- very dark inside with no flowers or anything of colour beside green and brown growing. I had always wanted to see a rose but knew I wouldn't find one in there. I scanned over the tops of the trees, not seeing anything else at first. My heart skipped a beat though, when Peter became to make a descend to a tiny clearing in between the trees.

My eyes shot over to his head in horror. "What are you doing, Peter?!" My six-year-old voice gasped. He flashed me a mischievous grin. "Going to get a better look." "But Peter! Daddy said not to go down into the trees," I was beginning to panic. "Ah, lighten up, Mal. Where's your sense of adventure?! No one will know, and besides, I come down here all the time. Nothing ever happens to me." I suppose I shouldn't have been as automatically willing to comply as I was, but then I was only six years old and trusted Peter Pan. We met when he found me lost on island at the age of three. He's always looked out for me and never given me a reason not to trust him. So down we went, landing in the clearing. Peter checked around before setting me down on my feet.

"See?! It's perfectly safe!" Peter announced gaily. After a glance around, I had to agree. Nothing came out to eat us right away anyway. Peter took hold of my hand and started to lead me further into the thicket. "Come on. Let's see if we can find anybody." We hiked along hand-in-hand encountering nothing for the first little while. It looked like a plain, old forest to me; or it did the longer we stayed in it. Peter remained hopeful though.

The first individuals we ran into appeared roughly twenty minutes into our trek. A branch snapped and I grabbed onto Peter's arm afraid. This was replaced by loud cackling. We peered up and found two Siamese cats lounging on a big tree truck. They were laughing and rolling around. "Look, brother; look at the little humans." "Boy, are they in the wrong place," they chuckled amongst themselves. I held onto Peter's arm tighter; meanwhile he didn't appear phased at all. He simply waved them off, which delighted them even more. "What are two little morsels like you doing here? Do you know where you are?" One cat inquired to us this time. "Maybe they're lost, brother," the other cat told his brother. "Let's go, Peter," I whispered, growing more scared by the second. I knew they were only cats, but I was afraid, nonetheless. Peter scoffed undeterred. "They're just cats, Mal. Come on," he was able to tug me along with how I was clinging to his arm. "Goodbye, little humans," one cat shifted onto his back. The other made muffins with his paws. "Watch out for bears," he yawned. Bears?! What did he mean by that? But Peter didn't give me time to ask; the cats were out of sight within seconds. I stayed really close by Peter now, terrified of what the cat's remark could be about.

We learned soon enough. We reached a waterfall where Peter's feet finally came to a stop, as did mine. He pried his arm off mine and sent me a reassuring grin. "Wait here. I'm going to get a drink. I'll be right back." Surprisingly, I didn't say anything to this. With one last reassuring glance at me, Peter went to get himself a drink of water at the falls. I didn't feel too scared on my own there since he was so close. Squatting on the grass, I hugged my knees into my chest and patiently waited for my friend to return. Or at least I did until someone interrupted the silence. My head shot to the side to discover Kaa slithering up to me quickly. I guess I don't have a phobia of snakes since I wasn't initially afraid; I was pretty sure I could outrun Kaa if I wanted to. Though that might have been flawed child logic.

Kaa smacked his lips hungrily. "Say now, what have we here? It's a man cub; a delicious man cub." I watched him, unaware of the fact that he was intending to eat me. I was more impressed with the size of his body. "You're very long," my mouth said absent-mindedly. This made Kaa chuckled, for some reason. "All the better to hug you and squeeze you with, my dear." Why would he want to hug me? My eyebrow had just enough time to raise before Kaa's eyes turned a different shade of colour. "You're a long way from home. You must be tired, man cub. You should go to sleep… Sleep, sleep," he cooed. Just as he was staying this, my eyes started to feel heavy and drowsy. I was about to pass out until Peter Pan arrived.

"Get away from her!" Kaa made an "oof" sound as Peter kicked him square in the jaw. All of a sudden, I felt entirely better and blinked to find Peter positioning himself between the snake and me. Kaa shook his head in agony. "My sinus," Kaa cried before giving Peter Pan the harshest glare. He began slithering towards us with intent. "Just you wait until I get you in my coils….." Kaa threatened.

Then something interesting happened. Kaa froze, as if a sudden sensation overcame him. A worried look etched itself onto his face and he immediately backed down and slithered back into the woods. It was all rather anti-climactic, which Peter thought so too. Confused, he took hold of my hand again. "Well, that was weird. Let's go up to the falls, Mal." I remained quiet as he led me up to the water.

I don't know why but the moment we got near the top of the falls, this strange negative feeling flooded over me. It was like we were entering somewhere dangerous, although nothing of danger was instantly apparent. Peter didn't seem to feel the same way; he acted as excited and cheerful as ever. Yet despite his enthusiasm, it was really, really quiet. With exception of the waterfall and our own voices, it was eerily still all around us. The longer we were up there, the more this feeling of danger swelled inside me. Peter Pan let go of my hand to get a closer look at the falls' edge. My hand went from holding his to hugging myself. Something felt off- really off.

"Mal! Come get a look at this!" Peter waved me over. My feet didn't move an inch. "Peter…" "What's wrong? Come on! This is cool!" "Peter, I don't…." I began but couldn't put my fear into words exactly. I wasn't quite sure what I was so afraid of, but I was right then. Peter gazed over his shoulder at me puzzled. "Mal?" I didn't reply. He straightened up and gave a smirk. "What? Are you afraid?" "N-No! I'm just…." I started to lie but stopped myself. He laughed at me. "You better get a move on or the coachman will get ya," he raised his arms up to emphasis the scariness. I shot him an unimpressed glare. "Peter! You know I hate the coachman!" "Awe, Mal's scared! Well, you should be. I'm the coachman, and I'm coming to get you!" "Peter, stop it!" "I'm going to turn you into a donkey, Mal!" Still laughing, he took a playful step towards me. Then, in the blink of an eye, he did stop; all amusement suddenly vanishing from his face. I think he finally sensed what I had earlier.

I had just enough time to look to the side bushes when this gigantic grey fur bear came roaring up. It had glowing red eyes and very sharp teeth and claws. It was the same bear which attacked Amos Slade, Copper, and Todd; the scar from the bullet wound was still on its shoulder. This bear gave an unearthly growl as it eyed me up in a terrifying way.

I couldn't even scream. Seconds later, I found myself tumbling backwards down the way alongside the waterfall. My little body only stopped once I was at the bottom of the falls, not that my tumble did any good. "Mal!" Peter shrieked at the top of his lungs. But the bear paid him no mind; instead he was barrelling down after me, growling furiously. I landed on my back with the bear feet away. I didn't have time to do anything but luckily Peter did. He flew down as fast as he could, standing in between me and the bear; his badger was in his hand. Now I know it would have been all resolved if Peter had just picked me up and flew us back home, but that's not how Peter's mind works in situations like these. I swear he sometimes forgets he can fly when deadly animals are involved.

The bear was not impressed by Peter's intersection at all. Letting out a vicious growl, it raised it's paw up high into the air. Peter and I barely missed its swipe by throwing ourselves off to the side. Peter's feet instantly spun him in such a way that he was facing the bear again while I laid there on the ground. "Peter!" My hand extended out as the bear took another swing. Peter managed to dodge it, but he did so in such a way that left an opening to me. The bear took full advantage of the scenario, marching quickly in my direction. I had to scramble to my feet to avoid it's jaw coming down for me.

This time I landed very close to the water's edge. Using my arms I was able to lift up my upper half. The bear was stomping towards me with a determined glint in it's eye. I was so terrified that I didn't feel the mist from the falls brush against my skin; all my limbs were shaking uncontrollably. Having enough of this I think, the bear lifted up onto its hind legs for this attack. My bottom lip trembled so much, I thought it was going to fall off. The bear roared and prepared itself to annihilate me. I winced my eyes shut, getting ready for the worst. Then, a voice called out to me.

"Get down, Mal!" I don't know how Peter Pan did it, but he did it. I immediately lowered myself to hug the dirt and Peter smashed into the back of the bear. The enraged animal went toppling into the water behind me. This certainly wasn't enough to kill it, but it did provide us with a window to escape. Peter rushed over to me, spiriting me up into his arms, and only then did we fly to the safety above the trees. For there, we flew home.

Peter and I never told anyone about our encounters with the animals we saw, or the fact that we almost died by the claws of a bear. Daddy never found out, and I was never punished for it. But trust me- I learned my lesson and had a profound respect for all animals, good and bad, since then.


	2. Not The Best First Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal finally speaks to Harry for the first time.

I wanted to get to know Harry better, just to even talk to him, but had no idea how to go about it. I wallowed away the hours contemplating this in my room, running my finger back and forth along the grain of the wood. Daddy didn't notice anything was up, though he did recognize that I was spending a lot of time in my room. I just told him I was doing more homework.

I finally got a reprieve when it was announced that there was going to be a town meeting that week. That meant that all the adults had to attend while all us kids got together under the supervision of a babysitter. It usually ended up being Gaston's best friend, LeFou, since he was the easiest to stick with the job. I excitedly pulled Daddy by the hand down the road towards the Isle of the Lost's makeshift townhall. Like the adult he was, my father groaned the entire way.

"I don't see why I have to go to these stupid meetings. I'm a god, for crying out loud. I'm supposed to steal people's souls; not mingle with them." "Meetings are fun, Daddy! Come on; come on!" My little hand kept tugging his. "Why are you in such a hurry? You'll be stuck with that Le-Doofus guy all night." "B-Because! Because uh… meetings are important; that's why." "Uh huh, sure. I'll let you sit one sometime and then you'll see how "important" they are," Daddy rolled his eyes. "It won't be so bad, Daddy. Now please hurry up!" I tugged even faster, if that were possible. Daddy complied, if only for my sake.

A slew of adults was already gathering around townhall by the time we got there. No one looked particularly happy to be present, but at least Dr. Facilier made an effort to greet Daddy. "Hey, Hades. You made it." "You know it, all thanks to this one," Daddy pointed to me. Dr. Facilier smiled, charmed. "Hey, Mal. How're you doin', little girl?" He got down on one knee to speak to me. "Good, thank you," I replied a tad shyly. Daddy grinned, rubbing the side of my head in a comforting manner. Dr. Facilier also widened his smile, straightening up and planting his hands on his hips. "She's a polite one, ain't she?" "She sure is. Hey, baby girl; why don't you go join the other kids? Daddy has to go inside now." "Ok, Daddy!" I gave him a quick hug before scurrying off. Dr. Facilier laughed at this. "She sure is something, that Mal. Just like my own little girl." "I just wish she wasn't such a sticker for the rules," was the last thing I heard Daddy say before disappearing round the bend.

All the VKs were in this sort of pen place. It was like a homemade jungle gym indoors, though the last thing it was was safe. Wood and beams were falling down all over the place with kids running all around. At the centre of the chaos was poor LeFou, trying- and failing- to keep order. "Now, children; I need to stop running about and listen to me," he attempted coaxing a few kids. This was around the point that I arrived, gently opening the door and slipping in from outside. I stood there for a second with my hands clasped in front of me.

"Hello, LeFou," I wanted to sound as polite as possible. LeFou spun around to find me there; a wave of relief washing over his face. "Mal! Finally! A good, well-behaved kid." I didn't know if this was a compliment or not, so I simply smiled in response. He scrambled over to my side. "Listen, I need to go in and set an example for the other kids. Just play nice and quiet, alright?" "Yes, sir," I automatically replied; what else was I going to say? Seemingly satisfied with this, he motioned for me to go inside. I was no less than five steps in before I spotted my friends.

"Mal! Over here!" Evie waved for me to come over. She was playing off to one side with Jay and Carlos, who were being too rowdy to notice my arrival. I waved back at her but didn't go over; I wanted to find Harry here. Going through the floor I saw Uma and some of her friends; we gave each other a wave too. This was before she and I would come to hate each other in our teenage years. This was also the time before Harry joined her crew, which consisted of three kids at the moment. Harry had his own group of all-male friends; fairly standard for his age. Evie and I were the unusual ones in this sense since we played with boys.

Eventually I located Harry on the other side of the indoor playground. As expected, he was with his group of friends. Gil was there, along with a handful of other boys. Out of all the kids present, they were by far the nosiest. The closer I got, the more my resolve began to shake. I really wanted to speak to Harry but was shy also. Still, I didn't know when I'd get another chance to see him like this, so I kept my resolve. When they were sight, I hid behind a plastic tube holding up this section of the jungle gym and drew in a deep breath. Ok, Mal; you can do this. Harry was the first- and only- crush I'd ever had, and I was determined to make something of it. Feeling like I was walking on pins and needles, I nervously emerged from the security of the tube and approached the cluster of loud boys. They didn't notice nor care that I was there until I was standing right in front of them.

Gil was the first to stop playing to glance over at me. "Who's this?" He asked no one in particular. That's when Harry looked, and my heart skipped several beats. He's looking at me… He's actually looking at me. My fluttering heart instantly broke in half when he moaned to himself. "Nugh, not her." "Who is she? You know that girl, Harry?" "Hey! Isn't she Hades's girl?" "Yeah! The demigod." "Demigod? More like demi-not," they all burst out laughing at Gil's lame joke. Still, my cheeks sizzled a bright red out of embarrassment. Even if I did talk to Harry now, I had no idea what I would say. It was clear that he didn't like me very much, if at all.

My fingers twiddled together anxiously. This wasn't going how I had planned in my head. But when does it ever? They kept on laughing- all expect for the now angry Harry. He shot a sharp glare in my direction. "What do you want? Can't you see we're playing here?" He demanded with a bitter tone. "I uh…. uh…." "Get lost!" Other boys started to shout. "Yeah, no girls allowed in our crew!" "Girls can't be pirates anyway!" "Tell her to go, Harry," Gil spat at his friend. Harry looked taken aback. "Me? Why should I?" "She obviously wants to be your friend or something." "Friends?! With her?! Ew, gross! Like I'd ever be friends with her!" Harry fired back.

He said this and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me alive. Beyond being mortified, I was hurt. Harry's words hurt; I didn't know words couldn't hurt that much. I wanted to cry but was too humiliated to do that. In place of that, I remained standing there, clenching my fingers together like a moron. The worst part was that I still had a crush on Harry even after all that. While I stood there trying not to cry, the boys carried on laughing and teasing me. "Awe, look. She's gonna cry!" "You gonna cry? Ha! What a baby!" "Hey, everyone! Look at the baby!" Fingers pointed my way and the laughs grew louder.

I was shivering and hugging myself by the time LeFou came to the rescue. "What's going on over here?!" I should have said that the boys were making fun of me, but I couldn't bring myself to utter a word. Turns out I didn't have to; our babysitter figured it out on his own by analysing my body language. He gave the boys an upset frown. "Were you brats teasing Mal?!" None of them verbally responded right away, glancing at one another for instruction. Eventually Gil gulped and turned his head forward.

"She wanted to play with us," I think was his pitiful excuse. LeFou wasn't the least bit impressed, crossing his arms sternly. "And what's wrong with that? Why won't you let Mal play with you?" Again, the boys peaked at each other, unsure how to reply. Another boy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "B-Because she's a girl?" He stated like it should be obvious. LeFou huffed and rolled his eyes. "Typical boys. You don't realize how wonderful ladies are until you're much older. Don't pay them any mind, Mal; they're just being clueless idiots. They won't always be mean to you- trust me. Now why don't you go play with your own friends?" Our babysitter placed his hand on my shoulder and got down on one knee to talk to me. I looked back at Harry, only to see him flash me a scowl. My tiny lips parted a sliver.

"Yes, sir," I did as I was told and went back to where Evie and the others were. Along the way, I peeked over my shoulder where Harry was playing. He was laughing and having a good time with his friends, completely ignoring me. This great big smile drew across his lips and those familiar butterflies reappeared in my chest. My eyes lowered gently upon him. Why do I feel this way? It would be so much easier if I didn't. Why can't I just ignore Harry the way he ignores me? How is it fair that only one of us feels this way? He smiled again and my hand raised up to my chest. Why can't I just let it go?

Why can't I breathe whenever you smile like that?


	3. A Forced Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Hook forces Harry to become friends with Mal.

"What's wrong, Mally? You've barely touched your fish 'n chips," I was picking at my dinner with a fork while Daddy was chowing down. With my back slumped back in my seat, I didn't take my eyes off my pitiful plate, too depressed to do anything else. "Daddy, why don't boys like me?" I asked, not thinking much of my question.

Daddy, however, choked on the food he was currently swallowing. I only gazed up as he whacked his chest a couple of times so he could breathe again. He then stared at me dumbfounded. "Why don't boys like you? You're five years old, Mal! Boys aren't supposed to like you yet!" He sounded very concerned for some reason. Unsatisfied with this, my eyes scrolled back to my plate and fork. "But why don't they want to play with me?" Daddy watched me for a moment until his eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh…. Oh! Oh, honey; little boys don't like to play with little girls. It's nothing personal; all little boys are just morons, that's all." "Mmmmm, LeFou said something like that last night," I hummed. Daddy's eyebrow raised. "Last night? Why? What happened last night?" My stomach twisted a tad as I hesitated to answer, but I knew Daddy wanted one. "Nothing…. I just wanted to play with Harry a little…." "Harry? Hook's boy?" I nodded slowly. Daddy continued to watch me for a moment, then gave his hand a dismissive wave. "Yeah, well good riddance to him I say. You're a demigod and he's a pirate's son; you're too good to be his friend. Besides, you're friends with Peter Pan; why would you want to be Harry's friend?" I didn't say anything more. Even my five year old mind knew Daddy had a point, but still….. I thought of Harry's smile from last night and it gave me pause.

Daddy and I went out on a walk that afternoon; we normally went on walks around the island's streets together every day. We never bought anything, except for food. Our Greek relatives kept us supplied in everything we might need, including clothing. It was more to get out of the house than anything. Ever since Daddy was forced to stop ruling the underworld, he had become quite bored at home on the island. Holding my hand, we wandered aimlessly down the streets until our legs got tired and Daddy wanted a nap.

I had to admit, I was in low spirits since last night. My head was drooping, and my lip was pouting. As much as I wanted to see Harry again, I really didn't want to see him anytime soon. This is why I wanted to die when we rounded a corner and came into view of the pier. Captain Hook's ship was at the dock and he was out of it. My feet came to a freezing halt when I spotted Harry playing with his toy wooden sword nearby. I froze, my mouth agape and mortified. Daddy was forced to stop walking and blinked back at me confused. "Mally?" My lips waggled open, but no sound came out. I was too humiliated to make a peep. Daddy was about to ask me what's wrong until someone suddenly addressed him. "Hades! Is that you? I didn't get a chance to speak to you last night!" Evie's mom, the Evil Queen, waved him over.

Daddy gave my hand a squeeze. "I'll be right back, sweetheart." I didn't move when Daddy let me go and went over to Evie's mom; my eyes were locked onto the unassuming Harry. I gulped unconsciously. What should I do? Should I…. go over and apologize for last night? Should I explain myself? Little boys don't like little girls, so would it even matter? But then again, Jay and Carlos are my friends, so why couldn't Harry and I also become friends? I wish I could just talk to him….

It took every ounce of courage I had to make my way over to where Harry was playing. He was swinging his play sword around, pretending to cut down enemy pirates and what not. I felt like my chest was going to explode by the time I reached him. My eyes winced shut, awaiting his reaction to my arrival. I honestly don't know why I was expecting it to be positive- I was just that hopeful. But of course, it wasn't. Harry darted around to face me and flashed me the biggest frown ever. "You!" He shouted in the most accusing tone. I cringed, unsure how to go about our interaction now; this was our first time being alone together like this. Better be nice- show him that we can be friends.

"H-Hi," I managed to squeak out, sounding too much like a timid mouse. Harry was definitely not impressed. "What are you doing here?" The young pirate demanded. "I-I… just wanted to say hi….." "What is wrong with you? Can't you see I don't like you?" I visibly winced. For the second time in a row this wasn't going how I anticipated, and I didn't know what to do. How do I make this better? Come on, Mal; you can do this. You want to be friends with Harry; you can make this better. My lips trembled open. "D-Do you…. want to be friends?"

Harry gave me an incredulous stare for a moment; a very long, tense moment. Then all hell broke loose. "Why would I want to be friends with you? I think you're annoying!" Annoying…. My eyes grew very wide. He thinks I'm annoying….. The first guy I've ever had a crush on thinks I'm totally insufferable. That set the water works a flow; forget about dignity for a moment. I hugged myself tightly as tears began to trickle down my cheeks. This caught Harry off guard; he doesn't live with any women and I don't think he's ever seen anyone cry before. His little back stiffened up as his eyes grew in confusion. "Wait? Are you… crying? Like really crying?" Him saying that only made me cry harder, which set him into a panic. I think he could hear consequences coming his way fast. "Don't cry! Don't be such a wimp! No crying!"

"Mally!" And here came the storm. Daddy ran over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "What's the matter, baby girl?! Are you hurt?!" When I didn't respond, Daddy put the pieces together when he saw a frazzled and scared Harry standing there stiff as a board. He gave Harry the most monstrous glare- you do not mess with his little girl. While wrapping his arms around me, he continued to glower at the now frightened little pirate. "You do something to my kid, boy? Were you making fun of her?" Daddy's tone was low and dangerous. A wave of horror washed over Harry's face. "N-No! I wasn't…."

"What's going on here?!" An irate Captain Hook marched over to join us. Smee was right by his side and he was the first to view me. "Look, Hades's daughter," the first mate pointed to me. Captain Hook placed his hand- and hook- on his hips in an authoritative fashion. "Would someone care to tell me what's going on?" "I'll tell you what's going on! Your son was bullying my daughter!" Daddy shouted. "You what?!" Captain Hook turned to his son, clearly angered to hear this. Now it was poor Harry's turn to look like he was about to cry. "But I wasn't! I…."

"Son, what have I told you about being a gentleman? Gentlemen are always polite to women. Remember what I've told you- females are jealous, petty creatures who need to be treated with deference! Even if you kidnap them, you must show them esteem. We do not bully them- ever!" "I wasn't Dad; honest!" Harry's hand and hook shot up in front of him defensively. "You need to teach that kid of yours some manners, Hook. He may be a VK, but making my baby girl cry is not ok!" Daddy yelled at Captain Hook, who gasped affronted. "I assure you, I have taught my son how to treat women!" "Well you haven't done a very good job, have you? He's a little terror!" "He is not! My Harry may be a pirate and a villain, but he's a respectable young man." "Can't you see her crying?! He's obviously not! All she wanted was to be friends with him!" "Friends?! With a demigod? Why I never…..!"

Captain Hook's sentence came to an abrupt halt. His stare began to wander in a pondering fashion; his lips hung open for a minute. Then, like a light bulb turned on overtop his head, his eyes lit up all excitedly. "Wait… demigod? Poseidon's your uncle, right?" After a little sniffle, my head nodded. This only added to Captain Hook's eagerness. "If our kids were friends, your uncle- the god of the sea- might do favours for my ship." Then, like clockwork, his head darted around to face his son. He sized him up severely.

"Son, you will be friends with that girl." "Really?!" My face lit up with surprise and delight. Meanwhile, Daddy and Harry looked horrified. "What?!" Harry gasped shocked. "Yeah, what?" Daddy repeated, equally as stunned. "Our children will be the best of mates from this day forward," Captain Hook grinned victoriously. "Awe, no Dad! Don't make me be friends with her! All the other boys will laugh at me!" Harry groaned loudly. "You just want to use Mal as a ticket into my brother's good books," Daddy's eyes narrowed onto Captain Hook's with venom. "Nonsense! After giving it some considerable thought, I see now how your daughter will be a bad influence on my son. She'll make him a better villain by showing him the feminine side of evil." "Mal? Make him more evil? Do you even know my kid?!" Daddy threw his arms up into the air. But I was too happy to say otherwise; I just wanted to be Harry's friend and saw a window of opportunity here.

"Dad, please don't make me do this," Harry pleaded with his father. But Captain Hook stayed steadfast. He merely brushed his son off with a wave of his hook. "Quiet, Harry. You will learn to be friends with her. As a pirate, we must be chums with those in power over the seas." "But I don't want to be her friend!" "Don't you hear the boy, Hook? He doesn't like Mal! You can't force them to hang out and "like" each other!" Daddy retorted. "The hell I can't." "You're being an idiot!" "I most certainly am not! I think this friendship will do my son a world of good, and he will be nothing but a gentleman to Mal, right son?" Silence. "Right, Harry?" Captain Hook's tone was much more threatening this time. Harry sucked on his lips and looked everywhere but at me. "Yeah….."

Captain Hook beamed in victory, like he'd just been given command over the seven seas. His back straightened up and he wore the biggest grin on his face. "Well then, this was a good talk. Delighted to meet you, my dear. I look forward to seeing more of you around the docks," Captain Hook held out his hook for me to shake, which I did a bit shyly. Daddy rolled his eyes and Harry groaned. I think the only ones happy about this deal were Harry's father and myself. I didn't understand at the time why Daddy was so against the friendship- that would come later, after Harry and I were already friends.

As a show of our new friendship, I eagerly waved goodbye to Harry as Daddy and I left. He practically pulled my arm out of its socket by how hard he was dragging me away, muttering to himself the whole way. "The nerve of that bastard. Using my little girl just to get in good with Poseidon. I hope he sends a storm and sinks all his ships," Daddy said more to himself than me. I didn't get why Daddy was so mad and at the moment, I didn't really care. It didn't occur to my child's brain that being forced into a friendship probably wasn't the best way to go about things, but I was ecstatic that Harry would at least spend time with me- even if so unwillingly.

It wasn't until much, much later that Captain Hook would come to regret his decision, but by then it was already too late. We couldn't have known it then, but this was the day that started everything. Absolutely everything.


	4. Mal Saves Harry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal saves Harry from the coachman's men. Then someone else saves Mal.

I got all dressed up for my first playdate with Harry. Daddy wasn’t keen on me playing with “that greedy swine’s little bastard”, so I had to wait until he went for his nap before going off to see the small pirate. Harry was already playing with his mates by the time I arrived; they barely took any notice of me until I interjected myself onto the dock. 

“Argh! Take that, and that! You old bildrat!” Harry play stabbed Gil with his wooden sword. “Oh! You got me!” Gil stumbled back like he’d really been hit. It was then that I saw fit to say something, wanting to greet my new friend. “H-Hi, Harry.” 

Immediately all the boys stopped to gaze at me; frowning appearing across each of their faces. “Not her again!” “Why is she here? What does she want, Harry?” “Tell her to go away! We’re playing!” Harry’s friends bombarded him. Harry shot me yet another vicious glare. “Why are you here?” He demanded in a low, uninviting tone. I blinked, taken aback and now feeling very shy. My hands held onto each other in a nervous manner. “W-Well uh……. w-we were supposed to play together today,” my lips replied meekly. None of the boys looked the least bit impressed, including Harry. He scowled at me with the upmost, heaviest annoyance. 

“I don’t want to play with you! I don’t play with girls! Now why don’t you go down to the harbour or something? I’m busy.” “B-But Harry…….” I began, still hoping we might play with each other. I had no idea why I was so adamant on playing with him; all I knew was that I felt all warm and fuzzy whenever he looked at me. And no amount of his sharp words would change that. Still, I did feel bad and embarrassed standing there like that. Harry’s friends laughed at me before taking off. “Come on, Harry! Let’s leave her and go somewhere else!” Gil called out while running away. I looked at Harry, who seemed a little at war with himself. Then he gave me another irritated glare. 

“Look, just leave me alone. You’re so annoying.” “B-But I thought we were friends,” my bottom lip quivered. “We’re not friends! And I’m not going to play with you. Go over there and play by yourself.” “But Harry! Harry!” Too late. I remained there, stiff as a statue, watching me go off with his other friends. The urge to cry swelled inside me again. I couldn’t figure out why Harry and all the other little boys hated me so much. I know little boys don’t like little girls, but couldn’t Harry and I be the exception? 

I didn’t really want to go home after that public rejection, so I wandered the streets without direction for a bit. My eyes and head were droopy; I felt totally miserable. The sun would be setting soon, and I’d get lost if I didn’t head back home. Breathing a long sigh, I turned the corner and was about to make my way back until something caught my eye. I spotted a figure ahead of me and instantly hid back around the bend. My little head poked out to see what had made me come to a sudden stop. 

My lips automatically opened when I saw a donkey not too far off. He had a rope around his neck, but no one was holding onto its end. The poor creature looked as if he was waiting for someone to come back, and not by his own volition. A voice I’d never heard before came from the shadows of another corner, making me shiver. “Is that it? He wanted more than that, Kitty.” A silent reply. “What are you talking about?! This place is crawling with little boys. We just need to find them,” the man continued talking but I couldn’t see him- him or the other one whom he was talking to. They stayed behind the building beside the one I was hiding behind. 

I suppose the second individual gave a response I couldn’t hear because the first voice seemed satisfied. “You’re absolutely right, Kitty. You leave it to old Honest John. I’ll have ‘em ready for the coachman by nightfall.” Coachman?! My eyes grew wide and my heart froze to a solid chunk of ice. The two talking must be Honest John and his mate, Kitty. I didn’t see them, but I knew who they were by reference to the coachman. My eyes moved back to the little brown donkey and I instantly understood. 

As quietly as I could and without the fox or cat seeing me, I slipped out from the corner. It took every ounce of courage and bravery I had to go out into the open like that. My little hand grabbed hold of the donkey’s rope; he realized what I was up to and stayed quiet the whole time. Making a “shush” motion with my forefinger, I proceeded to tiptoe away with the donkey, trying to rush back behind the corner. When we got there, I let the donkey go ahead of me, so he was safe first. Then I began to untie the rope around his neck until Honest John- still outside my vision- said something terrifying. 

“Oh, look Kitty! There’s some boys playing over there.” A sense of numbness coming over me, I dared to look over, only to see Harry and his friends playing within view. They were blissfully unaware that they are being surveyed at the moment. My trembling hands fell from the donkey’s now loose rope down to my sides like lifeless noodles. My eyes stared out into nowhere as I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. Harry…….. He’s talking about Harry. My breathing was so heavy, my chest was visibly moving in and out. 

I didn’t have time to think; my body sorta moved on its own. I waved for the donkey to escape, which he did after giving my hand a grateful lick. I straightened up my legs, and once I was sure the donkey was gone, I pulled back my long purple hair. I needed to look as boyish as possible for this to work. Taking in a deep, deep breath, I forced myself to emerge from the corner once again; my hand still holding my hair all back. I shut my eyes and drew in one last profound breath. Then my mouth opened. 

“Gee, I wonder where my mates went to? They were here when I went to the boys’ room a minute ago,” I did my very best to sound as much like a boy as possible. My eyes were still closed when Honest John and Kitty took the bait. “Did you hear that? There’s a boy around the corner,” I hear the fox whisper gleefully. I knew it was a matter of seconds before they turned the corner and jumped me. So even though I never saw actually saw them, my feet spun around and I felt myself running in the opposite direction away from them. As figured, their footsteps could be heard echoing after me. “Quick, Kitty! Don’t let him get away!” 

Not looking where I was going, I rapidly turned another corner where I bumped into a different entity. Stumbling backwards a few steps, my eyes shot open. Staring back at me was this black, defineless mass. It looked like a man but was much shadier and more terrifying than any man I’d ever seen. What stood out to me most was his glowing yellow eyes; the only thing of colour on his otherwise black body. Judging by the direction his eyes were pointed, I could tell he was looking at me. I let out a super loud scream as its fingerless hand reached out for me. This- this right here- this is how I swore I would die. 

But I didn’t die. Someone saved me. “You leave that lass alone!” A metal clenched fist punched that black figure square in the face; or at least I think it was his face. The black man barely moved an inch, but it was enough time for whoever it was to scoop me up into his flesh arm and spirit us away. He ran for a good five minutes before stopping, setting me down in a part of town I didn’t recognize. I blinked up at my saviour, who turned out to be this big, pudgy cyborg man with a golden metal eye. He rubbed his eyes with his real hand before gazing back to me. 

“Ugh, aye me. Why would those the likes of them be after a little sparrow like you? Can’t they see you’re a girl?” I think he said this more to himself than me. I simply gawked up at the man, who is one pirate captain Long John Silver, wide-eyed. Around then Morph popped out from behind his right shoulder, gazing down at me curiously. A giggle left my lips when he flew down to get a closer look at me. I loved the colour Morph was; plus he was all blobby and squishy, which I enjoyed. After watching the two of us for a moment, Long John let out an exasperated sigh.

“Would have thought your pa had taught you better than to be around the likes of them, girl,” he scolded me; or at least I think he was scolding me. It was kind of hard to tell with his accent. Not really sure what was going on, I continued to play with Morph and quietly watch Long John. Sensing my confusion, he sighed once more, giving his head a little shake. “I’m getting too old for this. Now, you listen to me, ya’ hear? You stay away from the coachman’s crew. Most folk here don’t believe he’s real, but I’ve seen ‘em. And so have you. You don’t go doing anything stupid like that again, you understand lass? That soulless coachman has no use for girls, but he’ll make ye’ disappear nonetheless if you get too close. Understand?” My mechanical finger pointed straight at me. I really didn’t understand but was already scared of the coachman, and this encounter only made it worse. I wouldn’t learn until I was about ten years old that the black shapeless man worked for the coachman and did his dirty work off Pleasure Island. 

I don’t think Long John was completely satisfied with my meagre response, but he let it drop all the same. His body language visibly relaxed and Morph cuddled into my cheek affectionately. Long John had a stretch then held out his robot hand for me. “Come on, lass. Best get you home.” Not seeing what else to do, I took his metal body part; his long, cold fingers curling around mine. I peered up at him, still confused but relieved that he was here. It was my first time meeting a pirate who wasn’t part of Captain Hook’s crew. He also glanced down at me, a grin growing across his lips. 

“Heh, can’t tell what it is, but somethin’ about ye’ reminds me of Jim,” he told me. I blinked, not saying anything. His big head shook again, him “humphing” to himself. “Ah, what are ya’ doin’ out here by yourself anyway? A small thing like you alone on these rough roads and alleyways……..” I understood what he said then. “I um…… I wanted to play with my friend.” “Your friend?” Long John’s eyebrow raised. “Harry.” “Hook’s lad? Eh, nice boy.” Nice? I looked up at him. That’s the first time I’d ever heard anyone call Harry “nice”- well, besides myself. It felt good to hear him say that. 

I guess I must have been smiling because Long John’s face dropped. I noticed his hand loosen its grip on mine. “Now, don’t you be lookin’ at me with them eyes. We can’t get in too deep here, lass. Next thing ya know, they’ll be sayin’ I’ve gone soft.” “But you are soft, except for your arm and leg,” I took his words literally. Long John chuckled, charmed by this. “Not that kind of soft, girly. You just make sure to keep yourself out of trouble from now on. Be a little more selfish, if you gotta.” “But I don’t wanna be selfish.” He chuckled even more. “Lands sake; what kind of villain kid are ye’? You best be careful there, lass, lest you give too much of yourself one day.” “What does that mean?” I questioned. “It means sacrificing yourself for others, like ya’ did with the donkey men back there.” “Did I do something wrong?” My five-year-old brain was genuinely confused. I didn’t think risking my life for Harry’s was wrong, if only dangerous- for me anyway. But Long John merely shook his head; I felt his hand retighten its grip on my fingers. “What I mean is that it’s foolish to sacrifice anything without expecting to get anything in return.” “But I don’t want anything.” His head shook for what seemed like the millionth time; his eyes peered out in front of him softly. 

“Boy, the way you talk, lass. It’s like you don’t just pretend to be good, but you’re really are good. You’re nothin’ like any VK I’ve ever seen before, and I’m startin’ to think that may not be such a bad thing.”


	5. The Birth Of A Real Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry loses something precious; Mal retrieves it for him.

I was whisking away in the kitchen with what ingredients I could find. It was hard to make anything good on an island devoid of sugar, honey, or fruit. Still, I did the best I could for the tender age of five. Since salt looked just like sugar- it did in pictures anyway- I decided to go with that instead. While I was busy baking in the kitchen, a familiar voice started to sing all around me. With a smile, my head turned upwards to greet a pleasant, albeit crazy, face. 

“Baking today, are we?” “Hello, Cheshire Cat!” My voice was all happy and cheerful. “And what are you making? Something delicious, I hope,” the round purple cat floated down to hover above the counter where I was mixing things. “I’m making cookies for Daddy and my new friend, Harry.” “Have you ever tried a cookie before?” I cringed a little in embarrassment. “Well no, but I hope these will still taste good.” “How can you know what’s good if you’ve never tried one before?” The cat asked in his weird, twisted logic. My child brain couldn’t keep up, so I merely nodded my head before turning back to my work. 

“Hey, you! Get outta here, you crazy cat!” We both looked to see Daddy come storming in. He was never fond of the Cheshire Cat…… for some reason. His arms waved around to shoo him away, which the cat utterly ignored. “No, no, no! No cats in the kitchen, or in the house for that matter! He’s gotta go!” “But he just got here, Daddy,” I jumped to my feline friend’s defence. “I don’t care. I can’t stand this stupid cat!” “Daddy!” “Oh, that’s quite alright, Mal. Your father simply doesn’t understand our unique disposition,” Cheshire Cat said absent-mindedly. “Your unique disposition?! Are you implying that my Mally is crazy like you?” Daddy demanded scandalized. Cheshire Cat continued laughing in his usual way and rolling around mid-air. “I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy. My reality is just different from yours.” I smiled at him and Daddy rolled his eyes. 

“What’cha doing, Mally?” Having enough of our visitor, Daddy came over to my side to peer over my shoulder. I proudly showed him my bowl of cookie dough. “I’m making cookies!” A wave of mild horror washed over Daddy’s face. His lips contorted a little. “But…… there’s no sugar or butter or anything yummy in the Isle of the Lost.” “I know, but I wanted to try anyway. Wanna try some?!” Seeing the excitement in my expression, I suppose Daddy was compelled to taste-test the batter. He took a very small spoonful and brought it up to his mouth. I eagerly watched it go inside and his lips close. His eyes widened and he forced a swallow, which went undetected by little me. After a few swift whacks to the chest, our eyes met- mine full of expectation. “Do you like it?” “It’s uh……. uh……” Daddy stumbled with his words at first, but one look at my innocent child face, he had to smile- a natural smile. “Yes, baby girl; I liked it. But Daddy’s still full from breakfast, so he’s not going to have anymore cookies, alright?” “Alright!” And with that, I merrily went back to my mixing. If Daddy liked my salty cookies, maybe Harry would too! That was the logic my young mind was going with. 

A bag of freshly baked cookies in hand, I had a skip in my step all the way to meet Harry. I’d forgotten all the mean stuff he said to me the other day; the run-in with the coachman’s cronies and Long John superseded all that. As per usual, Harry was play-fighting on the dock with his friends, including Gil. Just like before, none of them paid me any mind until I was right there. Only this time they didn’t stop playing when I arrived; they continued ignoring me entirely. Not wanting to interrupt like before, I waited patiently off to the side for one of them- hopefully Harry- to say something to me. But they didn’t. Something much worse happened. 

“Blast you, Hook!” “Take that, and that!” Clash went the wooden swords. I couldn’t understand why little boys had such a fascination with swords and fighting; certainly nothing I was interested in. “Give up?” “Never! I’ll teach you to cut off me’ hand!” Harry waggled his hook in the air. Harry’s hook wasn’t attached to his wrist yet. Daddy said that Captain Hook was waiting until Harry was fifteen years old before chopping off his own son’s hand and replacing it with a hook. I cried when he first told me this, but apparently Captain Hook always planned on doing such a crude operation, convinced that a hook was much better than a human hand. I never told Peter Pan that one. 

Gil swung at Harry, which he dodged by lowering his upper half. “Insolent boy! I’ll slash you to ribbons!” “And I’ll cut you to pieces!” “You’ll never leave this ship alive!” One of Harry’s other friends took a swing from behind, with direr consequences. Hook kept his word and did replace Harry’s hand with a hook when he was much older, but for now all he had was a holding hook. This apparently special pho hook was knocked from poor Harry’s hand. He gasped and they blinked just in time to see it fall to the ground and roll towards the edge of the pier. “My hook!” Harry cried, mad dashing towards it. 

But it was too late. All eyes were on the hook as it tumbled off the wood, disappearing into the murky depths. Harry looked shell-shocked, like he didn’t know what just happened. The other boys gazed at each other worriedly. Meanwhile I was watching Harry, who was currently laying on his stomach with his right arms stretched out to the surface of the sea. I think Gil was going to say something but was suddenly cut off by an adult voice coming from a way. It was Smee, who was staunchly marching in the direction of the dock and tossing his one arm in the air. “Hey now! What are you kids doing over there?!” He sounded upset. 

“Let’s get out of here!” One boy directed the others. “What about my hook?!” Harry pushed himself up off the wood with both hands. “Forget about it! It’s too late for that! Come on; we’re going to get into trouble!” “But my hook…….!” “Come on, let’s go, Harry!” Gil ran over to grab Harry by the forearm. He and the others forced him to get up and take off. Harry didn’t look at me once, but as he ran by me, I caught a tear dripping down his cheek. That made my heart feel all sorts of weird and bad. The urge to help him, to set things right overtook me. I glanced down at the salty water; the sea breeze rustling the edges of my hair. My lips opened up a sliver. “It's foolish to sacrifice anything without expecting to get anything in return." Maybe I am selfish, after all. I do want something- I want Harry to be happy. Is it selfish to want to see him happy, to watch him smile? Maybe……. 

Calculating where the hook dropped, I used my tiny arms to climb down off the side of the dock. The fall wasn’t far, even for a five-year-old girl. Leaving the cookies- which the seagulls had picked over by the time I returned- along with my shoes up on the pier, I slowly lowered myself into the brown water. It was cold but not freezing; like jumping into a cold bath. With a deep breath, I shut my eyes and released my hands from the dock. Down I went, landing feet first into the water. I guess Smee was too busy chasing the boys to notice my decent into the coast. 

It was hard to see under water. The saltness was a lot more intense than I had anticipated. It stung my eyes immediately, and I can’t imagine what it was doing to my hair. Being so small, I had to come up a couple of times for air; my little lungs couldn’t take the lack of oxygen for long. Lucky for me, the sea floor wasn’t that far here; the water wasn’t that deep. It took some exploration, but after a while I managed to locate the hook. It was resting motionlessly in some sand down below. I rose up to the surface one last time to take a very deep breath. 

I descended down as fast as I could go, using my short arms to propel me downwards. When the hook came into view, my hand reached for it. I grabbed its curve just as my lungs felt like they were going to explode. Hook in hand, I made a beeline to the surface, shooting up like a shot. My mouth opened unconsciously the moment air touched my lips; I took the biggest breath I ever had in my life before my body fell back below the surface again. I was too short to climb back up to the dock, so I had to swim until I found a rope I could climb up. I hoisted myself out of the water and up the rope. My body collapsed onto the ground where I coughed and hacked up all the saltwater in me for a few minutes. That excursion literally took all the pep out of me; I felt exhausted. 

But I knew I couldn’t lay there forever like that. After a while I got up to my feet and rung the excess water out of my clothes. Then, completely forgetting about the cookies I had left back on the pier, I made my way to where Harry might be. My feet dragged the whole time. 

I found Harry sitting under a tree outside town centre. He was rolled up into a small ball and looking very dejected. Trying to fix my hair- in vain since I only used one hand- I softly approached to where Harry was mourning. His head turned to me to reveal red, sad eyes; it was clear he’d been crying. I didn’t say anything, and he wiped under his nose with the side of his hand. “What do you want?” His tone was a lot quieter than I’d been expecting. 

Without making a sound, I revealed Harry’s hook to him. Growing steadily wide-eyed, he watched me set it down on the grass behind him at my feet. Then I straightened up and smiled at him- a genuine, sincere, true smile. Harry could only gawk at me dumbfounded with these gigantic eyes. 

“I don’t……. But how did you…….? I don’t get it…….?” “You lost your hook, so I got it for you,” I know what I was saying was fairly evident, but I felt the need to say something. Harry didn’t say a word for a moment, standing up and turning so to face me. Almost cautiously so, he slowly approached the hook, lifting up with the hand he usually held it with. He still looked stunned as ever as he shifted around in his palm. Then, after giving his hook a good inspection, his gaze gently drifted back to me. 

“You really swam down to get this for me?” Harry asked in a tone I’d never heard from him before. It was as if he’d entered the twilight zone or something, going by how he was talking. I merely nodded this time, wearing a grin on my lips. I think that’s when he saw that the edges of my hair and clothes were still wet. Harry shuffled his feet, acting awkward in front of me since the first time we’d met. He was the one acting shy now. This only endeared him to me more, but I stayed quiet, patiently waiting for him to speak next. His small, cute mouth eventually opened on its own good time. 

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever…….” Harry couldn’t finish that sentence, so instead he started a new one. “No one’s ever done something like that for me before,” I guess he might have said this to me, but it seemed he was more thinking out loud to himself. His eyes wandered around a bit before peering back to meet my stare. Our eyes met, gently and without hostility for once. 

Harry shuffled his limbs about again in an awkward fashion. I truly think he didn’t know what to say next. I could understand that, since we did live on an island full of only villains and other bad guys. I suppose acts of kindness would be foreign to him- his own father wants to cut off his hand for crying out loud. But there was a none-before-seen tenderness in Harry’s movements now. The flutter of his eyes, the twitch of his arms, even the flash in his throat as he breathed- they all betrayed him. This was a softness I’d never seen in Harry before, and I was willing to bet he’d never shown to anyone else. I doubt Harry was even comfortable with all these new feelings, as illuminated in his body language. But I could tell in some weird way that Harry was happy. Harry was happy, and that was payment enough for me. 

Harry tore his stare away from mine, looking everywhere but at me for a minute or so. However, when he was ready, his face spun straight in my direction and he sucked on his bottom lip. His arms waved at his sides for a moment. Soon enough, his mouth opened, though it took some more time for any words to come out of it. Harry sucked in a stilling breath, then looked me right in the eyes. 

“Well, thanks……. T-Thanks……. for getting my hook back,” Harry said in that kind tone I recently just heard. My smile instantly widened, making him flinch bashfully. My eyes shut as I leaned forward ever so slightly; my hands were clasped behind my back. “You’re welcome.” Harry didn’t dare say another thing, but he never used that harsh, dismissive tone with me again after that afternoon. Quite the contrary. He was a lot more willing to play me since then.


	6. When Pirates Go To War Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long John Silver's ship goes to war with Captain Hook's.

“And this is the bow,” Harry had completed his tour of Captain Hook’s ship, the Jolly Roger. Weird name for a boat if you ask me, but maybe Captain Hook wasn’t the creative sort. Ever since I retrieved Harry’s pho hook, he’d been a lot nicer to me; well, as nice as a little pirate boy can be. But I didn’t care- I was just happy to be spending more time with him, though we still didn’t play with his other friends. Whenever Harry and I played together, it was always the two of us, which I didn’t mind in the slightest. 

After much begging, Daddy finally agreed to let me come visit Harry on his father’s ship for the afternoon. It wasn’t my idea; I was stunned when Harry actually asked if I wanted to come play today. It was the first time he initiated anything with me, and I wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip from my little thin fingers. I came and Harry gave me a tour around his father’s ship; an activity I enjoyed so much. 

Harry and I ran out onto the bow, where the rest of Captain Hook’s crew were lounging. They all scoffed at me specifically, not that I noticed; I was too busy inspecting things in an excited fashion. Guy with the eye patch spoke first in a gruff, unimpressed tone. “I still don’t like girls comin’ on the ship.” “It’s bad luck, ya know,” another added. “Why is she even here? She ain’t no daughter of any pirate.” “Aye. She reminds me of that one girl we hauled aboard once. What was her name?” “Wendy- Pan’s mate.” “Oh, right. The one we made walk the plank.” “We should make her walk the plank. Heh, Pan won’t save her this time,” they chuckled sinisterly. I merely blinked their way, contemplating to myself. No, I don’t think Peter would let me fall into the water like that; granted, if he knew what was happening. Peter has always been very protective over me……. when he wasn’t dragging me on potentially dangerous adventures. Such as the mindset of a young boy. 

This is around when Smee came stomping over and clapping his hands in an authoritative way. He did not look happy. “Now that’s enough of that! Mal here isn’t our prisoner; she’s Harry’s guest,” the first mate announced, making Harry blush embarrassed. This was followed by the grown pirates waving Smee off dismissively. “Ah, what’s Harry hangin’ around a girl for anyway? Ain’t he a bit young to be lookin’ for women?” “Don’t be so crude! They’re clearly just friends,” a scandalized Smee fired back. “What does he need friends for? He’s got us!” One declared like my presence was an insult to him. Smee’s head shook unimpressed. “Don’t be so rude to our guest. She’s a lady, don’t forget.” 

“That, she is,” all our heads spun towards Captain Hook emerging from this quarters. He flashed me a brilliant smile, extending his hook out for my hand. “Lovely to see you again, my dear. You’re looking exquisite, I must say.” All other pirates abroad, with the exception of Smee, rolled their eyes. Their captain this fancy way of talking to women which they weren’t sophisticated enough to appreciate. Even Harry thought his dad was being too sappy. “Dad…….” he muttered more humiliated than ever. Captain Hook’s eyes shot over to his son. “Did you offer our guest something to drink?” Harry’s little mouth opened but nothing came out. Patch-eye guy waved his hand through the air again. “Ah, come off it. We don’t need to be feedin’ the likes of her.” “What?” Captain Hook growled in that terrifying tone of his. All crew members perked up in fear and Captain Hook straightened himself right up to address his men. I didn’t grasp the significance in him standing so close to me in that moment. 

“Now, you listen to me, the lot of you. Whenever Mal is aboard the Jolly Roger, she is to be treated with nothing but the upmost respect. Understand?!” He asked the last part in a yell. His men looked at each other with a bit of confusion. “Eh, why should we? She ain’t nothin’ but a skinny little girl,” one pirate inquired. “This “girl” happens to be the niece of the great sea god, Poseidon. I’m sure he would be happy to bestow favourable waters and winds on gentle pirates who tend to his precious niece.” While Captain Hook was ultimately right and my uncle did give the Jolly Roger favours in the future, none of his crewmates seemed convinced. But there was nothing to be done. The captain’s word was law and they had to obey him. Satisfied with their forced compliance, Captain Hook handed me back to Harry. “Now, son. Why don’t you go and show Mal how the cannons work? I almost hit Peter Pan with that very one, you know,” Captain Hook told me. I was about to say that Peter was my friend and I didn’t appreciate cannon balls being fired at him. Luckily though, my little five-year-old rant was interrupted. 

One of the pirates with a telescope pointed it out onto the horizon. Granted, thanks to the magical barrier surrounding the Isle of the Lost’s coasts, the ship was close enough to see with the naked eye, but the telescope-wielding pirate checked all the same. “Enemy ahoy!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone ran over to the edge of the boat to see another black pirate ship sailing this way. Harry and I looked at one another while Smee turned to the captain. “Uh, captain?” “Give me that!” A now irate Captain Hook snatched the telescope from his crew member. One check confirmed it. Captain Hook let out an angered gasp. 

“Long John Silver! Blast that wretched scoundrel!” My eyes perked up. “Long John?” There was excitement in my petit voice. I’d had nothing but positive encounters with Long John since I’ve met him- he did save me from the coachman’s goons, after all. Unfortunately, Captain Hook and his crew didn’t react so happily to his arrival, however. Captain Hook tossed the telescope back at his crew member and started to furiously pace the dock. “That scurvy dog! He knows these are my waters! To your places, men! We’ll give that dastard what for! Let’s show him what happens when he sails into my territory!” 

Harry and I remained at the dock’s ledge while the crew began racing around. Both our small heads turned out to where Long John and his crew were sailing in. They were on a water boat instead of a spaceship. Daddy tried to once explain it to me. “You see, Mally- once a pirate, always a pirate. Those lowlife scum were trapped on the Isle of the Lost like us when they were defeated- well, all except for Silver himself. Unable to travel through space now, Silver’s crew found themselves a ship and began sailing the waters here. They didn’t know what else to do. Understand?” I did not understand at the time, but it didn’t matter. I still didn’t grasp the concept of a “free villain” and why they weren’t confined to the island like the rest of us. But that didn’t stop me from liking Long John or Morph. 

Long John’s ship came in rather fast; the noise of his rowdy grew progressively louder. By the time their ship was within speaking distance, we could see and hear Long John’s pirates properly. All guns were forbidden in the Isle of the Lost- but I guess cannons were the exception. Regardless, all adult pirates present were arms with daggers, long curled swords, and ropes for some reason. I wasn’t aware of the concept of hanging people at the age of five. The pirates were cheering and yelling without restraint, waggling their weapons high above them. Captain Hook’s crew started doing the same and both captains came into view of each other. 

“Well, well, well, if it ain’t the little, old Jolly Roger? Surprised that hunk of junk of yours is still floating,” Long John spoke to Captain Hook in a mocking tone. We looked to Captain Hook, who growled behind his teeth; then he forced a snarky smile. “Captain Silver- it’s been too long. I see you’re just as bad at sailing water vessels as space ones,” Captain Hook remarked, and his men snickered a little. The leer on Long John’s face vanished, only to be replaced by a nasty snarl. “You’ve been helming these waters too long, Hook. Best step down while you still have the legs to do so.” “Ha! Your threats don’t phase me, Silver. Mark me, I was here first; these coasts are mine. They belong to me! I man them! You’re a free villain anyway, so pack and leave before I blast ye to kingdom come!” “Aye, I might be free but me crew ain’t. I say we’re ready to fight for these here waters, and if you wanna put a stop to it, then you can just go visit Davy Jones’s locker, Hook!” Long John’s men cheered at this. Captain Hook looked like he was about to blow a gasket. His head turned so sharply over to poor Smee. 

“Aim the cannons, Smee! We’ll teach him to pick a fight with Captain James Hook!” “Oh, you think you can do that, huh? Well we have cannons too, Hook, and we ain’t shy to use ‘em! Take aim, lads!” Long John barked at his crew. All the while, Harry and I had been passively watching, unsure what to make of the whole scene. I doubt either of us truly knew how much danger we were suddenly in, but Captain Hook did. He took one look at us while his men were scrambling about, and an idea came to him. All of a sudden, Harry and I felt ourselves being grabbed and lifted by the back of our shirts; Captain Hook’s hand hoisting me up, and his hook holding Harry. Neither of us had any idea of what was going on as Harry’s father dangled us in front of Long John’s view. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Silver. As you can see, there happen to be youngsters onboard the Jolly Roger,” Captain Hook proclaimed like this was some sort of victory. His men were still getting his cannons ready and aiming them at Long John’s ship. But all of Long John’s men stopped their work to gaze over at us. Long John saw me, and the colour drained from his face, though I was too young to know why. Instead, I merrily waved at Long John with enthusiasm; a great big smile spreading across my face. “Hi, Long John!” You could hear the eagerness in my voice. 

All of Captain Hook’s and Long John’s men looked at one another confused. Even Harry and his father were surprised by this show of friendship on my part. “You know that girl?” A guy with long tentacle arms asked Long John, causing him to wince slightly. “Mal?” Captain Hook questioned me next. “He saved me from the coachman’s scary men,” I said totally innocent. A wave of horror washed over Long John’s face while Captain Hook’s crew just laughed this off; Long John’s crew did not. “Awe, my dear; you must have been mistaken. There’s no such thing as the coachman,” Captain Hook told me sort of patronizingly. I blinked puzzled. “But……..” 

A frightening, red, bug-looking man named Scroop on Long John’s ship scoffed. “First that Jim boy; now that snot-nose little welp?” His pincher raised up to point at me. The rest of his crew began to grumble. “What is it with these kids that keeps makin’ you soft?” A two-legged creepy lady demanded. “Shut yer yap!” Long John bellowed. Then he gave Captain Hook a harsh warning glare. 

“You give that girl to me, Hook.” “I think not! She’s aboard my ship, Silver.” “You ain’t gonna keep her prisoner! She be a kid!” Long John’s voice was growing more frantic; again, because of my tender age, I didn’t understand why. Seeing a way to win here, Captain Hook lowered both me and Harry before sending Long John a devilish grin. Morph floated over Long John’s shoulder, looking very nervous. “I’ll have you know she’s not my prisoner; she came aboard on her own volition. She came to see my son, Harry.” 

“Hogwash! You tricked her onboard! You better release her if you know what’s good for ye’, Hook.” “Why do you care so much, captain? Just leave the girl and let’s blast ‘em,” tentacle arm guy stated. The other members agreed with him. But Long John stayed firm; his eyes drifting in between the top of my head and Captain Hook’s evil eyes. Long John’s hands balled into frustrated fists; his jaw visibly clenched as he bared his teeth at us. “Alright, if that’s the way you want to go about it. Send ‘em to the depths! And me any loot onboard and bring me the girl! The rest is yours, lads!” “We’ll see about that! Attack, me hardies!” Captain Hook commanded with a yell. Harry and I were dropped to the floor while Harry’s father tore away. Little did we know of the brawl coming fast our way.


End file.
